Installation Instructions

Download your Operating System version

**OpenCPN.org Download Page**

1. Official Release used for actual navigation is always available at the top of the Download page.
2. Beta Releases are snapshots of the development process, and may contain errors or temporarily be unstable. Show stoppers are normally fixed very quickly however. This is where the latest features first are seen. Most of the time the beta releases are quite stable and the OpenCPN team appreciate it if more experienced users test the releases and report back.
3. Report Bugs and Request Features using Tracker . To reach the Trackerfrom the OpenCPN Web pages click on the “Tracker” tab at the upper right (above the blue bar). The sticky thread Tracker/Flyspray - How and When to use it gives some hints.

If you ask questions on the forum, you may be asked to provide the content of these files. Also changing some default settings is done in configuration file (opencpn.ini or opencpn.conf) with a text editor (advanced topic).

• Configuration file (opencpn.ini or conf) is where all data, that needs to be persistent between sessions, are stored.
• Log file (opencpn.log) Time based record of activities and errors from the current session.
• OpenCPN Version When asking questions on the forum, provide Version from Toolbars > ? (Help).

To find the locations of the files go to the ToolBar click on “?.

• A quick way to view the logfile is to copy the full file path and then paste this into the address field in your web browser.
• For quick copying of the opencpn.ini and opencpn.log use the two links. This is useful for publishing on the Cruiser Forum OpenCPN Area if asked to do so. Please use the Forum “Code” button before pasting, as this guarantees an exact copy.

The “opencpn.log” is in your home directory.
The “opencpn.conf” is in a hidden directory, called “opencpn”, also in your home directory.
For a quick way to view the files you can try these commands.

 $gedit `echo $HOME/opencpn.log` 

$gedit `echo $HOME/.opencpn/opencpn.conf` 

Of course you can swap “gedit” for your favorite editor.

These two files may be more difficult to find because the folder containing the logfile is hidden, so you need to change your systems “Folder Options” to show it.

For example, the C:\ProgramData folder is by default hidden in Windows 7/8/10/11. Here's how to get to it. To access it you need to un-hide it by doing the following:

1. Go to Control Panel > Folder Options
2. Switch to View tab
3. Select “Show hidden files, folders and drives”.
4. Unselect “Hide extensions for know file types” to get this state:

Now you will be able to find your logfile.

The logfile, “opencpn.log” , is in / Users/ “user name” /Library/Logs/ and the “opencpn.ini ” is in the / Users/ “user name” /Library/Preferences/opencpn/ directory.